Locks of hair

[Maykeith]

I just finished Alford's book "Fortune's Fool" and learned that multiple people ended up with locks of Booth's hair after he passed; Aunt Lue, Mary crowninshield, John Peddicord and Blanch to name a few......

Does anyone know if any of the locks still survive today?

Thanks!

[SSlater]

I just finished Alford's book "Fortune's Fool" and learned that multiple people ended up with locks of Booth's hair after he passed; Aunt Lue, Mary crowninshield, John Peddicord and Blanch to name a few......

Does anyone know if any of the locks still survive today?

Thanks!

There were locks in the Courthouse at Bowling Green, VA, but I'm not sure they are still there.

[RJNorton]

I cannot answer your question, Keith, but welcome to the forum!

[BettyO]

The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond Virginia has 2 big locks of JWB's hair in their archives; I don't remember seeing any locks of hair at the Port Royal Museum in Port Royal, Virginia; but don't know about Bowling Green. The framed piece owned by the late Maude Motley was given to a family member if I remember correctly.

   

   

JWB Hair at MOC, Richmond, VA

[Wild Bill]

Wasn't it James O Hall who said if everyone who claimed to have a lock of Booth's hair did have a lock, the corpse would have been bald when it arrived in DC?

[L Verge]

Yep - I think the race between Lincoln and Booth as to which left behind the most hair is "snip 'n tuck."

[SSlater]

The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond Virginia has 2 big locks of JWB's hair in their archives; I don't remember seeing any locks of hair at the Port Royal Museum in Port Royal, Virginia; but don't know about Bowling Green. The framed piece owned by the late Maude Motley was given to a family member if I remember correctly.

You remembers kerectly - mea copa!



JWB Hair at MOC, Richmond, VA

[LincolnMan]

There is a lock of Lincoln's hair in the Plymouth Historical Museum here in Michigan. I once asked a mortician about the hair because it looked like it had lost much of its black color. He said that was normal- that the color of hair taken from the deceased will eventually fade. From the pictures above it appears that JWB's hair has not changed.

[BettyO]

JWB's hair is a dark brown - not the "black" which was so often stated. Powell's hair was supposed to be the same. Modern folk forget that the hair pomades which gentlemen in the Victorian era used had a tendency to darken the hair; even if already dark in color, hence the historical statements that both Booth and Powell had "black" hair....

[L Verge]

Whatever happened to the lock of hair that came down through the Holloway/Garrett clan - the one that Lucinda snipped from Booth's forehead? It was being offered for sale about a dozen years ago in a golden, Victorian, self-standing frame. I lost track of whether or not they got the price they were asking.

[BettyO]

That was the piece that I thought was left by Ms. Motley to a descendant?!? OMG - they SOLD it!?

[L Verge]

I'm confused because I don't remember Miss Maude having anything except a piece of the crutch. I thought the framed piece of hair had stayed in the family - Miss Maude was not family. I just remember that the hair was up for sale and there was very little interest because of the price tag.

[Maykeith]

I'm confused because I don't remember Miss Maude having anything except a piece of the crutch. I thought the framed piece of hair had stayed in the family - Miss Maude was not family. I just remember that the hair was up for sale and there was very little interest because of the price tag.

You mention a piece of crutch.....are there other existing momentos in private collections that the average person such as myself wouldn't know about? Are there images? Thanks!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Dr. Alford brought a "private" piece of crutch when he spoke at this past Surratt Society conference.

[Houmes]

Whatever happened to the lock of hair that came down through the Holloway/Garrett clan - the one that Lucinda snipped from Booth's forehead? It was being offered for sale about a dozen years ago in a golden, Victorian, self-standing frame. I lost track of whether or not they got the price they were asking.

It was acquired at an auction of Garrett materials several years back by a dealer. He was widely recognized as having the largest collection in the world of "famous hair."